Apparatus for pre-positioning printing plates



1956 H. E. WIMPFHEIMER 2,770,049

APPARATUS FOR FREE-POSITIONING PRINTING PLATES Filed Jan. 28, 19,54 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. HARRY E. WIMPFHEIMER Nov. 13, 1956 H. E. WlMPFHElMER 2,770,049

APPARATUS FOR PRE-POSITIONING PRINTING PLATES Filed Jan. 28, 1954 2 SheetsSheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

54 56 53 62 50 BYHARRY E. WIMPFHEiMER United States Patent O F APPARATUS FOR PIKE-POSITIONING PRINTING PLATES Harry E. Wimpfheimer, Laurelton, N. Y.

Application January 28, 1954, Serial No. 406,649

Claims. (Cl. 33-1845) This invention relates to printing operations, and more particularly has reference to a method of and means for positioning a plurality of printing plates accurately upon a bed, before said plates are locked in place upon the bed and'sent to the press.

In the printing art, the practice, when printing .a plurality of pages of a book or similar publication, is to properly align the several printing plates that are to be printed simultaneously upon a common bed, after which said plates are locked in the selected position and sent to the press.

The aligning operation as conventionally carried out is time-consuming and laborious, and in many instances fails to insure that the several plates will be properly disposed upon the bed relative to one another. As a result, it is necessary that the plates on .said .bed be realigned, this operation being carried out, oftentimes, over and over again until the plates are properly positioned upon the bed.

The main object of the present invention, in view of the above, is to permit the pre-positioning of a plurality of page forms or plates, the pre-positioning operation carried out in accordance with the present invention being intended to permit the plates to be accurately located before they are sent to the press for the first time. By reason of this arrangement, it is proposed to eliminate losses in press hours, as well as lossesin man hours presently involved through the extra labor'required .by the stone man, who is required to shift the plates a number of times until they are properly located.

Another object of importance is to providea method of and means for pre-positioningprinting plates relative to one another on a common bed, which means will be so designed as to not only permit a substantial number of plates to be quickly aligned and locked in .place upon the bed, but also to permit this accurate setting of the plates to be effected in a minimum of time and with a comparatively small amount of effort so far as the workman is concerned.

A further object of importance is to provide a method and means of the nature referred to above which will not involve the intensive modification or redesigning of printing apparatus as now made, the invention being adapted to make use of conventional beds, printing forms, etc.

A further object of importance is to provide a method and means of the type referred to above which will not involve the manufacture of expensive attachments to printing apparatus now in use, it being proposed to permit the aligning operation of the printing plates to be carried out through the use of an inexpensive, transparent mask, and a transparent proof sheet readily connected adhesively to said mask. It is further proposed,-in carrying out the invention, to provide a relatively inexpensive straight edge device adapted tobe mounted upon a conventional imposing table.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will behad remaining parts of the straight-edge assembly.

2,770,049 Patented Nov. 13, 1956 to the following-description andaccompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features ofthe invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the straight edge assembly used with the method constituting the present invention, said assembly constituting part of the novel means for pre-positioning printing forms.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the dotted lines showing a released position of a clamp of the straight edge assembly, a table, bed, plate, masking sheet, and line-up sheet also being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the straightedge assembly.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged, top plan view of the mask per se.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a table and straight-edge assembly on which a bed and line-up sheet have been placed, during an initial step in the operation.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the table, straightedge assembly bed, mask, and line-up sheet, at a later step in the process.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 at a still later step in the process.

The reference numeral .10 has been applied generally in the drawing to a straight-edge assembly formed in accordance with the present invention. Assembly 10 is shown extending along one edge of a conventional table 12, in the position in which it would be mounted during the pre-positioning process. constituting the invention.

The assembly 10 is shown to particular advantage in Figs. 1 and 2. It includes an elongated, flat, relatively narrow back plate 14 lying in a verticalplane and extending horizontally with its lower longitudinal edge portion in contact with one side surface of table 12. The tablecontacting portion is formed with uniformly spaced, downwardly opening, vertically extending notches 16 arranged in a longitudinal series along the lower edge of plate 14 to receive rearwardly projecting mounting bolts 18 (Fig. 2) threaded in the plate-contacting surface of table 12.

A spacer plate 20, aligning bar 22, and guide lip 24 are coterminous with plate 14. and are connected together by a longitudinal series .of connecting bolts 26. Spacer plate '20 and bar 22 have their top surfaces in flush relation, lip 24 being so proportioned, however, as to cause its upper surface to be spaced below those of plate 20 and bar 22. As shown in'Fig. 2, the several components of the assembly 10 are formed with registering openings, the openings of lip 24 being threaded while the openings of the other parts are smooth-walled. The heads of the bolts are engaged in complementary openings of the backing plate, to provide means for properly locating the backing plate relative to the other parts of the device. With the bolt heads in the openings of plate 14, clamp means is applied to secure the plate 14 tightly to the In the illustrated example, said means comprises a series of clamp devices bridging the assembly at selected locations along the'length thereof, one of said devices being shown and being designated 27. As will-be noted, clamp 27 is shaped to bridge the plate 14 andthe spacer 20 and aligningbar 22, aset screw-being threaded in one end of the clamp against the back surface of plate 14 to draw the plate 14 into tight engagement with theparts connected by bolts 26.

Formed in the back surface of bar 22, at selected locations alongthe .length thereof, are recesses 28 in whichare snugly seated upstanding flat hinge plates 30 the upper ends of which project a short distance above 3 the top surface of bar 22 and are formed with upwardly opening recesses 32, the recess 32 of each hinge plate being disposed at the midwidth location thereof.

Mounted on each plate 30 for vertical swinging movement between the full and dotted positions of Fig. 2 are L-shaped clamp plates 36 each of which has a tongue extending into recess 32. Hinge pins 37 extend through registering openings of the hinge plates and clamp plate tongues to provide the desired hinge mounting of the clamp plates.

In the top surface of bar 22, below each clamp plate 36, is a threaded recess 38 merging into a counterbore 40. A holddown screw 42 is threaded into recess 38 and circurnposed thereabout is a spring 43 held under compression between bar 22 and clamp plate 36, to normally bias the clamp plate upwardly to the dotted line, released position thereof shown in Fig. 2. The screw 42 will, of course, overcome the force of the spring to shift the free end of the clamp plate into engagement with lip 24 whenever desired.

With the straight-edge assembly formed and arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the first step in carrying out the process is to make a proof of a type page, electro, or other work that is to be printed on a single page of a booklet, book, or other job having a plurality of pages of identical size and printed area.

An indivdual proof is made of each page, with each proof being made on a separate piece of transparent paper or glassine in black ink.

The next step is to perform the operation shown in Fig. 5. In carrying out this step, there is laid on the table 12 a bed 44 of any suitable type, that shown being of the Wesel type with diagonally extending grooves 46 in which are adjustably mounted clamping hooks 48. The printing forms 44*, one for each page, are mounted on the bed 44, see Fig. 2, and are held in place by clamping hooks 48, the hooks being tightened against the forms or plates 4-4 by means of a key pin, not shown. A substantial number of printing plates are mounted on a single bed, in properly aligned relationship, it being common to mount any number of said plates on a single chase. Thereafter, after the plates have been aligned or positioned with complete accuracy, the printing of the material begins. As will be understood, large sheets of paper are used, with each sheet being simultaneously imprinted with the material of all the printing plates. Thus, assuming that sixteen plates are locked on a single bed, sixteen pages of a book might be printed at one time, the sheet thereafter being folded and cut to separate said pages.

The difficulties which have heretofore existed have derived from the excessive amount of time and labor required in aligning the several plates before locking them in final position to make the printing run. The bed and the plates supported thereby, of course, are very heavy, and it has often been necessary, following conventional plate-positioning practices, to shift printing plates one or more times before they can be considered in satisfactory condition to make the full run.

The bed is positioned with one side against guide lip 24, and as a next step a line-up sheet 50 is positioned over the bed. Sheet 50 is a sheet of paper larger than (though it could be the same size as) the press sheet to be used in printing the multiplicity of pages simultaneously, and is prepared in the conventional manner with the proper trim size, trim allowance, gripper margin, etc. The sheet is lined to provide uniformly spaced, crossing lines 52, defining rectangular areas 54 each of proper size to correspond to a printing plate.

As a next step, there is positioned over the line-up sheet 50 a transparent mask 56 which can be of plastic material or the like, said mask being formed from a thin plate of said material having a rectangular shape and size corresponding substantially to that of the line-up 4 sheet. The mask is now slipped under the clamp plates 36, against the aligning bar 22 (see Fig. 2) and the holddown screws 42 are turned home to lock the mask in place.

The mask 56, as shown in Figs. 4-7, is formed over its full area with transversely extending, closely spaced rows of obliquely or diagonally arranged slots 58, said slots being parallel to the clamping hook grooves 46 so as to permit insertion of a key pin into any of said clamping hooks through a selected slot 58, thus making possible the engagement of the key pin with the clamping hooks for the movement of said hooks in grooves 46.

After the mask has been positioned as stated, the individual, transparent page proofs, designated 60 in Fig. 7, are attached to the mask by short lengths of pressuresensitive tape 62 or equivalent means such as gluing, cementing, etc. The page proofs are so secured in the exact position desired, by visual reference to the crossing lines 52 of the line-up sheet located below the mask and seen through the transparent material of the mask.

After this step has been carried out, the mask is separated from the line-up sheet, the line-up sheet is removed, and the several printing plates corresponding to the page proofs are placed on the bed and by means of visual determination, are positioned as near as possible to the proper margins and temporarily secured with the clamping hooks.

It is now necessary to perforate the transparent page proofs 60, to extend key pins through appropriate slots 58 of the mask into the clamping hooks 48 ranged about the printing plates. The clamping hooks thus shift the plates wherever necessary to match the transparent page proofs with the plates. When this has been accomplished, the screws 42 are loosened, and this releases the clamp plates to allow the mask to be removed. The bed, with all the printing plates locked in proper position therein, is now removed to the press, and after a press sheet is received from the pressman for approval, the mask is simply laid on said press sheet for visual comparison between the position of the printed material and the transparent page proofs-adhesively secured to the mask. If the pressman has shifted any of the plates while underlaying, they can be moved to fit the mask by marking the press sheet, it being unnecessary at any time to line up the press sheets themselves.

If color is being used on the same job, another bed is placed on the stone against the straight edge, and the procedures heretofore discussed are followed to fit the color units to the spots indicated on the transparencies, thus to register the units with the first color of the printed sheet. This practice can then be followed for all suc ceeding colors.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred em bodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1. In a device for pro-positioning printing plates on a bed, a straight-edge assembly mountable on one side of an imposing table, and comprising a backing plate attachable to said table, an aligning bar extending the length of said backing plate and projecting forwardly therefrom, a guide lip extending the length of said aligning bar, and clamp means carried by said bar and adapted to cooperate with the lip in engaging therebetween an aligning sheet overlying said bed, the bar having a top surface ofiset upwardly from the top surface of the lip, to define a vertical abutment extending along one edge of the lip against which said sheet may be positioned.

2. In a device for pro-positioning printing plates on a bed, a straight-edge assembly mountable on one side of an imposing table, and comprising a backing plate attachable to said table, an aligning bar extending the length of said backing plate and projecting forwardly therefrom, a guide lip extending the length of said aligning bar, and clamp means carried by said bar and adapted to cooperate with the lip in engaging therebetween an aligning sheet overlying said bed, said assembly further including a series of connecting bolts extending through said bar and lip to connect the same together, the backing plate having openings receiving the heads of said bolts.

3. In a device for pre-positioning printing plates on a bed, a straight-edge assembly mountable on one side of an imposing table, and comprising a backing plate attachable to said table, an aligning bar extending the length of said backing plate and projecting forwardly therefrom, a guide lip extending the length of said aligning bar, and clamp means carried by said bar and adapted to cooperate with the lip in engaging therebetween an aligning sheet overlying said bed, said assembly further including a series of connecting bolts extending through said bar and lip to connect the same together, the backing plate having openings receiving the heads of said bolts, said assembly additionally including clamps bridging the plate and bar and adapted for drawing the same tightly together with the bolt heads in said openings.

4. In a device for pre-positioning printing plates on a bed, a straight-edge assembly mountable on one side of an imposing table, and comprising a backing plate attachable to said table, an aligning bar extending the length of said backing plate and projecting forwardly therefrom, a guide lip extending the length of said aligning bar, and clamp means carried by said bar and adapted to cooperate with the lip in engaging therebetween an aligning sheet overlying said bed, said clamp means including hinge plates mounted on said bar, and clamp plates formed to an angular shape and mounted on the hinge plates for vertical swinging movement into and out of engagement with said lip.

5. In a device for pre-positioning printing plates on a bed, a straight-edge assembly mountable on one side of an imposing table, and comprising a backing plate attachable to said table, an aligning bar extending the length of said backing plate and projecting forwardly therefrom a guide lip extending the length of said aligning bar, and clamp means carried by said bar and adapted to cooperate with the lip in engaging therebetween an aligning sheet overlying said bed, said clamp means including hinge plates mounted on said bar, and clamp plates formed to an angular shape and mounted on the hinge plates for vertical swinging movement into and out of engagement with said lip, the clamp means further including springs interposed between the clamp plates and said bar and normally biasing the plates away from the lip.

6. In a device for pre-positioning printing plates on a bed, a straight-edge assembly mountable on one side of an imposing table, and comprising a backing plate attachable to said table, an aligning bar extending the length of said backing plate and projecting forwardly therefrom, a guide lip extending the length of said aligning bar, and clamp means carried by said bar and adapted to cooperate with the lip in engaging therebetween an aligning sheet overlying said bed, said clamp means including hinge plates mounted on said bar, and clamp plates formed to an angular shape and mounted on the hinge plates for vertical swinging movement into and out of engagement with said lip, the clamp means further including springs interposed between the clamp plates and said bar and normally biasing the plates away from the lip, said means additionally including hold-down screws extending through the clamp plates and threaded into said bar to shift the clamp plates against the lip against the opposing force of the springs.

7. In an aligning device for pre-positioning printing plates on a bed having diagonally extending grooves with clamping hooks adjustably mounted in the grooves, a transparent mask adapted to provide a support for individual page proofs with which the plates are to be registered, said mask having perforations parallel to the diagonal grooves through which a key pin may be extended for registering the plates with said proofs, the perforations being formed in the shape of slots.

8. In an aligning device for pre-positioning printing plates on a bed having diagonally extending grooves with clamping hooks adjustably mounted in the grooves, a transparent mask adapted to provide a support for individual page proofs with which the plates are to be registered, said mask having perforations parallel to the diagonal grooves through which a key pin may be extended for registering the plates with said proofs, the perforations being formed in the shape of slots, said slots being arranged in parallelism.

9. In an aligning device for pre-positioning printing plates on a bed having diagonally extending grooves with clamping hooks adjustably mounted in the grooves, a transparent mask adapted to provide a support for individual page proofs with which the plates are to be registered, said mask having perforations parallel to the diagonal grooves through which a key pin may be extended for registering the plates with said proofs, the perforations being formed in the shape of slots, said slots being arranged in parallelism, in a series of rows extending from side to side of the mask.

10. In an aligning device for pre-positioning printing plates on a bed having diagonally extending grooves with clamping hooks adjustably mounted in the grooves, a transparent mask adapted to provide a support for individual page proofs with which the plates are to be registered, said mask having perforations parallel to the diagonal grooves through which a key pin may be extended for registering the plates with said proofs, the perforations being formed in the shape of slots, said slots being arranged in parallelism, in a series of rows extending from side to side of the mask, the slots of each row being arrayed in staggered relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,197,874 Wagner et al. Sept. 12, 1916 2,190,947 Kinzler Feb. 20, 1940 2,230,870 Noell Feb. 4, 1941 2,277,405 McKiernan Mar. 24, 1942 2,492,528 Huebner Dec. 27, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 5249/06 Great Britain Mar. 3, 1906 

